Motorhome consumed by fire

By Charlotte Helston

A Vernon woman is lucky to be alive after her motorhome burst into flames Sunday night.

The blaze started within a 25 foot motorhome parked on a Tillicum Rd. property near Cedar Falls campground. A residence on the property was unscathed.

BX-Swan Lake Fire Rescue chief Bill Wacey says the woman was in the motorhome, getting it ready for camping season when she noticed a bright flicker from the overhead bunk. The flames spread rapidly, and the woman made it out in the nick of time. Her motorhome is completely destroyed.

"She's very lucky, motorhomes go up extremely quickly," BX-Swan Lake Fire Rescue chief Bill Wacey says.

When firefighters arrived shortly after 6 p.m., the recreational vehicle was engulfed in flames and the fire had jumped to a row of cedar hedges. Around eight trees went up in flames. Firefighters contained and put out the fire in under an hour.

Wacey's investigation into the cause of the fire is underway, but with the extensive damage, he doesn't expect to find much.

"It was probably an issue with an electric heater she had in the vehicle," Wacey says. "We don't usually have problems with those—it's the first one in a very long time."

With what Wacey says is an above average break-out of fires in the area right now, he's stressing the importance of working smoke detectors.

"A motorhome's no different than a house," Wacey says. "It's critical to have a smoke detector."

To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infotelnews.ca or call (250)309-5230.